GW Hoops / Loyola Chicago Joins A10 in 2022

**Posted by GW0509** 11/16/2021 4:03 pm

Atlantic 10 Conference @atlantic10
𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 #A10Family, @LoyolaRamblers Combining exceptional academics + nationally competitive athletics, Loyola Chicago will become the 15th member of the Atlantic 10 in the 2022-23 academic year.

bit.ly/3FlkFGJ

**Posted by BGF** 11/16/2021 4:10 pm

I love this.

https://theathletic.com/2959016/2021/11/16/inside-loyola-chicagos-move-to-the-atlantic-10-they-just-check-every-single-box/

**Posted by GW0509** 11/16/2021 4:13 pm

Wonder if it's more likely that we lose someone (maybe UMass due to football) or get another member to make an even # of teams?

Also wonder if long term we move back to having divisions?

**Posted by DCAbloob** 11/16/2021 4:18 pm

GW0509 wrote:
Wonder if it's more likely that we lose someone (maybe UMass due to football) or get another member to make an even # of teams?

Also wonder if long term we move back to having divisions?

Per CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, the Atlantic 10 isn’t expecting to lose anyone and the Big East isn’t interested in picking up Saint Louis, Dayton or VCU.
https://twitter.com/MattNorlander/status/1460716496385196042

**Posted by Mentzinger** 11/16/2021 4:49 pm

Unexpectedly great move!

**Posted by jf** 11/16/2021 5:36 pm

Wonder when we are going to change the League name? Maybe we can call it the A10+ to get a better deal with ESPN+

**Posted by Alum '04** 11/16/2021 7:27 pm

Solid move by the league. I've been very critical of Bernadette for sitting on her hands while the league's bid total declined over the years. Loyola is pretty up and down but they've been an average or better program lately.

**Posted by squid** 11/16/2021 7:56 pm

Awesome! I wonder if that means there might be a 16th school coming too. I did some idle speculation on the blog http://colonialhoops.blogspot.com/2021/11/atlantic-10-adds-loyola-chicago.html

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 11/16/2021 9:28 pm

I love this! Proof positive that Linda Bruno is long gone. Adding a program in Chicago (and not just a program but a good program) is genious. This resolves the "SLU conundrum" of how to keep such a far-afield school loyal to the conference.
I am going to guess the conference will move to 16 teams, likely with a public school in the Eastern time zone added to maintain balances (UNH, Deleware, UMBC and UNC-W all come to mind, maybe a Florida school if the football thingy does not get in the way-- Jax St perhaps?). At the same time, it does bring a certain debate to the conference...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCgYMFtxUUw

**Posted by The Ross-Man!** 11/16/2021 10:53 pm

3 divisions of 5?

GW, GMU, Richmond, VCU, Davidson
URI, UMass, Fordham, St Joes, LaSalle
Loyola, Dayton, SLU, Duquesne, SBU

**Posted by Mentzinger** 11/17/2021 7:40 am

Welcome Sister Jean

**Posted by GW73** 11/17/2021 8:53 am

FYI -- Jacksonville St is in Alabama, not Florida

**Posted by Steve Urkel** 11/17/2021 9:25 am

so finishing 13th in the A-10 next year will actually be an improvement

**Posted by GW Alum Abroad** 11/17/2021 10:01 am

GW73 wrote:
FYI -- Jacksonville St is in Alabama, not Florida

And I realize "Dixie St" is in Utah. Then again, isn´t Alabama just Florida only with fewer sinkholes and less access to meth?
Other speculative options for new members would be Cleveland St (although it would be an academic outlier well below even URI) and Maine (not much of a TV market).

**Posted by Mentzinger** 11/17/2021 11:34 am

Maine isn't going anywhere but Vermont, Iona, Stony Brook, Hofstra, Manhattan, BU, Bryant, Fairfield, Siena, Northeastern and a bunch of other more competitive schools with better media markets would be decent targets. Basically any top tier AE, MAAC or Colonial team adjacent to a city.

**Posted by GW0509** 11/17/2021 11:37 am

Sign me up for College of Charleston. Fun city to visit, some geographic rivalry for Davidson, plus as a bonus Pat Kelsey would finally be an A-10 coach.

**Posted by squid** 11/17/2021 11:42 am

College of Charleston would be my top pick, I also saw Wichita State mentions. Jon Rothstein says it should be Temple but they’d have to do something about their terrible football https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1460742098970451975?s=20

**Posted by BookGuy** 3/18/2022 11:38 am

Loyola of Chicago will join the Atlantic 10 next season bringing the membership up to 15.

does anyone know how scheduling 15 teams will work?

**Posted by jf** 3/18/2022 11:48 am

Watched Loyola 30 seconds during a scoring drought and still thought they would have easily beat us this year.
Interesting early game quote from Loyala coach: "I think we're trying to go 1 on 1 too much--and that's not who we are."

**Posted by DC Native** 3/18/2022 12:34 pm

By scoring drought, do you mean the first 23 minutes of the game? Loyola’s offense looks terrible.